A county lines operation saw a significant amount of heroin and crack cocaine make its way into the Stevenage area - and now the dealers involved have been jailed for more than seven years.
The 'Hollywood Line' originated in London and operated from a property in Holly Copse in Stevenage - the line has now been dismantled thanks to the help of the community.
Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Operation Mantis Team identified the line and a search warrant was served at the address in February 2021, where officers arrested Haben Emmanuel and Katrina Watkinson.
During the operation drugs and cash were seized, as well as a mobile phone with evidence that the line had been actively dealing crack cocaine and heroin in the town between September 2020 and February 2021.
The pair were charged on the same day and remanded into custody. They later appeared at St Albans Crown Court, where both plead guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine.
Haben Emmanuel, 21, of Redwood Way, Barnet, was sentenced to four years and four months in prison and Katrina Watkinson, 32, of Holly Copse, Stevenage, was sentenced to three years.
Detective Inspector Alex Willcox, from Herts police's Serious and Organised Crime Command, said: “Emmanuel ran the Hollywood Line, which supplied a significant amount of cocaine and heroin into Stevenage.
"The dismantling of this line will make a big impact on drugs use and associated crime in Stevenage and the surrounding areas. It also sends a clear message that drug dealing will not go unpunished and anyone involved will be caught and jailed.
“It would have been much harder to detect and dismantle this line without the help of the local community. This case demonstrates that if we receive information we will act on it and make communities safer.”
The Holly Copse property has its Closure Order, first granted in February, extended by another three months to limit anti-social behaviour in the area.
You can report information about a crime online at herts.police.uk/report. Alternatively contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.
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